


The Avenger Returns

by MisterHix



Series: Heroquest [2]
Category: Fantasy - Fandom, HeroQuest (Game), gamesworkshop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22166893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisterHix/pseuds/MisterHix
Summary: A lone warrior goes in search of a magic sword.
Series: Heroquest [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595572





	The Avenger Returns

Elf - Dae'ha

Solo Quest, The Avenger Returns

Cobwebs flew from the musty door as it moved off its hinges and made a sound as if the chambers within were breathing for the first time.  
The slight blast of wind ruffled Dae'ha's hair and cape but onward she strode fearlessly into the unknown of that dark abyss. Somewhere within these walls, under the watch of vile monsters, was the silver sword known as Avenger and Queen Terrellia had tasked her with bringing it back.  
Her curved sword hung in the air like an extension of her arm as she walked the cobbled floors taking careful steps. Her free hand flexed and made practice gestures for spells if she needed them. Though not lethal they had great use all the same.  
Eventually the corridor came to a door, tenderly she opened it and looked inside. An orc was standing on a chair reaching for something on the top shelf of a bookcase. It noticed her enter and leaping down from the chair drew its own blade in the same acrobatic motion. With a cry Dae'ha engaged the creature with a quick thrust but it tumbled to her left and slashed at her leg. The cut bit deep but the orc was open and she was able to stab the top of its skull with her weapon and end it there. Her leg hurt badly and she wondered if the blade had been poisoned but could not find any trace of poison in the orc. Further search of the room yielded a trapdoor, however it was locked and the orc had no key. It was then that Dae'ha remembered the orc was reaching for something on the top shelf of the bookcase when she had entered.

Mud stained Dae'ha's knees and hands as she crawled through the tunnel that the trapdoor led to. Her hunch about the key being on the top shelf had been correct and she reasoned that something of value must be at the end of the tunnel, possibly Avenger, but it was anyone's guess and she was more thinking on how to avoid getting any more wounds than the sword at the moment  
"Stinking Orc tunnels!"  
After what seemed like an age she opened the trapdoor at the end to find a small empty room with two doors exiting on either side of the trapdoor. Her cloak was heavy with mud but she endured, taking her chances with the left door and tried to prepare for the worst.  
Two goblins sat with a collection of gold coins, it looked like they were playing a tossing game with them that involved knuckle bones. Fortunately they had not spotted her and she was able to leap into the room and slit one of their throats before the other could react. Immediately it made to grab as much of the stray coin as possible but she stood on its hand and wagged her finger at it. The greedy goblin cried out in pain as it looked up at her in horror then knew no more, her blade slick dark with blood. 

With a freshly filled coin purse Dae'ha entered another long corridor and began to make her way down it. It opened into a wider space with a number of figures standing about it. They looked to be frozen to the spot and in the center of the room was a platform with a sarcophagus on it. The figures were not just orc and goblin but also the bodies of humans who had died here, some even rotted away to bones.  
Refreshing her grip on her blade she approached the sarcophagus slowly, taking care not to touch any of the frozen figures.  
Inspecting the figure on the sarcophagus revealed that the sword on it was real, in fact it seemed to be the object of her quest, the silver sword Avenger.  
It was magnificent, truly worthy of the effort to get here, only it seemed to be protected by some trap, a means of paralysis which freezes one in time. If Dae'ha wanted the sword she must overcome this vile enchantment.  
It was not long before she had a daring plan.  
"TEMPUS SUBSISTO!" She uttered and felt her awareness slip out of time, the effects of the real world would be stalled for a time and with this in effect she picked up the sword from the sarcophagus and stowed it on her back in her harness. As fast as she could she made it for the exit and as she reached the hallway she heard a creaking and gasping coming from behind her. The trap had been sprung regardless of the spell but it had allowed her to escape the room before it took effect, only it was not what she had thought.  
The frozen figures were not caught by the trap, they WERE the trap and now the were being freed to protect the sword from those who would take it from here.  
The first thing freed was an orc with an axe and it seemed almost bewildered until it noticed the sword had been taken then it let out a howl of fury and rushed after her, it was joined by an animated skeleton warrior with a massive scythe that clacked its boney feet on the stones as it approached.  
"Stones breath!" She exclaimed and quickly hurried to the room with the tunnel in it.

By the time she had made it half way through the mud soaked filth she could hear them scrambling to catch after her. They living ones calling after her in screeching voices that promised death. Hauling herself out took more effort than before, her leg wound now aching more than it was before. Pulling up her cloak out of the pit she closed the trapdoor and locked it behind her just as the orc and many others made it to the entrance. They beat and hollered up at it trying to break though. Dae'ha knew it would not hold forever and so placed herself behind the bookcase and with her back braced propped her good leg against the wall and pushed.  
Behind her, on the other side of the bookcase, the trapdoor began to break.  
Again she pushed, gritting her teeth and putting even her bad leg against the wall to push harder. The pain was agony, almost blinding but she felt the bookcase move, just a bit and then a bit more.  
Another heavy crash into the trapdoor form below sent the sound of breaking wood to her ears and she pushed again, with all she had left.  
With a crash and an avalanche of books the case came down on the door just as a green hand was reaching up for the lock. It was dashed to peaces with the impact and more still, a second crash sounded after the first one and sent the tunnel collapsing in on itself.  
"Stinking, Orc, tunnels!"  
Dae'ha was too exhausted and full of pain to move for a moment but it was done and for now she had time it seemed.  
The sword was safe, soon to be returned to its rightful place with Queen Terrellia and this bastion of evil was cleared. 

Or so she thought.

"We'll be taking that sword now." Said a man's voice from the entrance. Dae'ha looked up to see two figures, both Elf men, one with a sword and the other with a bow.  
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to deliver this to the Queen myself."  
Both men drew their weapons and approached her.  
"That sword is going to Archmage Sinistra. Now hand it over!"  
Dae'ha stood on shakey legs, not yet fully recovered from her ordeal to get the sword, her eyes gleamed with defiance.  
"The Mage of the Mirror will NEVER have this..."  
A sharp, burning pain filled her chest and she felt as if all the room had begun to spin. Looking down she saw the fletch and body of an arrow that flew from the bow of the archer. His face was smug and Dae'ha tried to speak but blood began to trickle from her mouth.  
"What's that darling, do you have something to say?"  
The swordsman asked sardonically.  
"Mico... Retro...!" She said, in a voice no louder than a wheeze.  
Again time warped, this time going back, she felt the arrow leave her chest and saw the room turn sideways as she lay back down on the toppled bookcase.  
Time had been reset for her.  
She sprang up and held out her free hand towards the archer.  
"LIGNUM TORQUENT!" The archer gasped as his the wood of his bow began to twist and curl, becoming useless on his hands.  
The swordsman swung for her but she was able to parry with her own blade and gave a reposte, the cunning swordsman began to retreat away from her while she advanced on him, striking high and low in short jabs.  
His defense failed when he tripped over the body of the previously killed orc and Dae'ha got him in the belly with a stab that knocked him over.  
She barely had any time to register before the other man was upon her, his bow was a useless bundle of wood now but he had drawn a dagger and was intending to use it. His face was now full of anger and he grabbed at her with his free hand to keep her from evading his blade, leaving her with just her speed and skill to defend but she was growing tired and could feel that she did not have much left at all to give.  
She fell as the edge of his dagger made a shallow cut on the side of her stomach and pulled him down with her, holding her own blade high to enter his chest. He fell on it and the bloody sounds of his gargled death rattle echoed in the rooms stone walls.  
Gasping, she lifted the body off herself and sat up, covered in blood, mud and scars. Her first adventure was successful and she knew now who else sought Avenger, Archmage Sinistra.  
Their paths would meet, but for such a thing Dae'ha would need help.


End file.
